[tatiana916]

Set eggs under my broody for the first time last Sunday. Its also her first time. eeeeeek!!
So excited its been the longest week already, can't believe I've got two more to go!
We've had a lot of things go wrong so far so fingers crossed for hatch day (15th July)

I set 3 silkies, 3 polish and 3 sumatras under her, she's a pied sussex hybrid, called Batman and a VERY aggressive broody!

We lost one silkie when she kicked over the broody box and it rolled out and she stepped on it and then started chewing the egg  but thankfully that was on day 1.
Now her friend, Wolverine a giant Bluebelle Hybrid is determined to keep jumping over the fence to join her  grrrrr keep waking up to find her all snuggled up with a very cross Batman.

Anyone got experience with broodies or hatching eggs in general as I'm a total newcomer and kind of playing it by ear!

Anyone welcome to join as the more advice the better!
Or if anyone set eggs under a broody or in an incubator would love to hear from you as I've never hatched eggs before so I have no idea what to expect or when. All I know is I'm mega excited for hatch day!!

[Helenaj]

Basically, let the hen do it all - it's nature's way and far better than using an incubator. She'll turn the eggs and disgard any that are not viable. Eggs can take anything up to 24 days to hatch (sometimes longer, but this is rare), so if she is still sitting tight after day 21 don't be tempted to move her - she'll know when to leave the eggs that haven't hatched. All you need to get ready for hatch day is chick crumb and a shallow drinker - if you've not got one of those place pebbles in the drinker. it's to stop the chicks falling in whilst having a drink. Mum will teach them the rest. Just sit on your hands - I know it's hard!

A word of advice - keep the other hen out of there - she'll try and pinch the eggs and they'll fight, which could break the eggs. Or they'll spend so much time pulling the eggs back and forth between then that they don't get to the proper temperature and none will hatch or they'll be deformed.

[Sassy]

Agree to let the broody sort it. You may need to lift the broody off once a day to feed and have a ginormous poo, they are not alwyas good at sorting themselves out!

[Casey76]

Hi tatiana, you might find this thread interesting http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=73884.0

Good luck with your hatch

[tatiana916]

@HelenaJ I'm not too worried about Wolverine pinching the eggs as she's the most unbroody hen around! Although I know Batman will snatch her eggs in an instant. I'm more worried about her stepping on them. She got in twice this morning  so I've had to rebuild everything fingers crossed its kept her out until I can check after work!
Already got chick crumbs and I'm off to pets at home to get a mini chick sized drinker.

@Sassy I'm struggling with getting her off the nest. She's usually terrified of the garden broom I usually only have to pick it up for them to be fighting to get back to the safety of the coop. Yet this morning I had it wrenched round her chest trying to pull her off yet she would just scramble back onto the eggs so I'm resigned to the thought that when she needs it she will go on her own accord.

@Casey76 wow those pictures are really fascinating. where about in the Alsace do you live I used to live in a tiny village called Seebach near Wissembourg and Lauterbourg, that's where I first learnt about keeping chickens I loved it there.

Thanx for everyone's advice. Keep it coming!

[nic_28]

hi,welcome to the world of fluffy chickdom. I had a disater with my oripngton eggs, one of my hens got into her broody coop and actually ATE her eggs that were a week away from hatching! all my effort gone to pot!  I had already bonded with them through candling and seeing the little things develop. I lifted my broody girl twice a day to poop, and eat drink strecth have a wee dustbath if she needed. I heard that some hens actually starve themselves or poop on the eggs as their instinc is so strong! I wore two pairs of leather gloves for protection (I used to wear oven gloves but were too clumsy) and actually lift her from under her wings making sure no eggs are stuck to her plucked chest, or under wings) once she was on the grass she would continue to sit, so I had to kind of fluff her up and offer her a treat so she would snap out of it long enough to eat and get some "me time"  all the very best with the hatch and you must let us see pics!!!!

[cheekychick22]

The broody will get off when she wants they do eat and drink just not when u are around

[tatiana916]

Oh no nic that's so sad!! 2 weeks of anticipation aswel! I've built a fortress round Batman now so fingers crossed it finally stays Wolverine proof til hatch day!
I've put food and water next to her because she hadn't drunk any water for days and we had a sudden hot spell last week so I thought it best to move it to her. I've been giving her mixed corn and fresh berries and cucumber all cut up in small pieces -I know I spoil her too much is that an ok diet? Tried to steer away from layers pellets as they're probably not much use to her at the moment. I put poultry spice in aswell and poultry cider vinegar in the water. 
She has been off for a very big poo but that was last Saturday  I know she hasn't popped in the nest because if its anything like Saturday I'd be able to smell it before even going in!
She has had an almost coral coloured comb the last few days. It started when Wolverine first jumped in so don't know if she got a bit over stressed/nervous. It looked a bit redder today so fingers crossed

[Sassy]

nic 28 has good advice

[nic_28]

you sound all set! its very exciting. In very hot days I would lift her to water as when mine was on the nest she was stuck there, in a trance wouldnt eat or drink anything (I tried and tested lifting vs not lifting, and I decided to go with the lifting as I didnt want her to deteriorate , also didnt really trust her to look after herself as it was her 1st time..maybe Im the clingy mother!) To make sure she would eat efficiently I mixed up a pellet/porridge oat/mixed corn/veg porridge, quite watery (extra fluids) and she gobbled it down, and sat back on the nest with a big fat crop. Her comb will go really pale, it alarmed me at first but its normal. Ive been told its because theyre putting all their energy into being a mum, but Ive also been told the fading comes from a hormone change thats responsible for making them broody in the 1st place :/ either way dont worry. I  Look forward to your news! Im hoping one of my girls go broody again soon so I  can try again 

[tatiana916]

Yayyyy less than a week to go!
Checked on her this morning as I'd been away for a few days and she'd pooped the nest GRRRR  Should have taken everyones advice and kicked her off the nest before I went away.
But when I moved her I noticed she'd laid an egg??? Is this normal? Thought they didn't lay eggs when broody  :blink:

[Helenaj]

It's very unusual, but it could have been an egg "left in the pipeline". She couldn't have pinched it from anywhere else?

[tatiana916]

Thought it was strange but I managed to wrestle her off so I could quickly nab it and it was one of Wolverines eggs. She must have quickly laid one when she jumped over the fence last week.
So excited only a few days to go now! Checked on them this morning and they all felt nice and warm.
I'm all set for Sunday. The area they're in at the moment is a concrete floor so I covered it in newspaper and a layer of straw and sawdust so they're a bit more comfortable and I got a special chick drinker after reading horror stories about chicks drowning 
Really hope this week speeds by though, I know I'm going to be up at the crack of dawn to run out there and listen out for some little cheeps! 

[rosie14]

Read your thread with a smile on my face all the way as hatching was one of the best and most nerve wracking things I've done  the highs and lows oh and the drama, it's like being pregnant all over again (thank god we do not have to wait 9 months for a hatch huh?!) Good luck with your hatch can't wait to hear fluffy news

[tatiana916]

Thought I heard cheeping this morning  ran back into the house and pulled my boyfriend out of bed and dragged him to the coop......turned out to be a standard wild/garden bird  Ooops! Better make sure I'm 100% sure next time!!

 Batman is being more aggressive than normal, don't know if that means she can feel something changing under her?
Also how long will it be until she comes off the nest with them? I'm assuming its not going to be the first day but I hope they poke their head out!

Fingers crossed for tomorrow!!!!! And I'll try and distinguish between a chick and a wild bird before I get excited next time!